Floating deck



Ap 1933- A. M. GRIFFIN FLOATING DECK 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 23, 1927 di'toznaqa April 4, 1933. M GR|FFgN 1,903,291

FLOATING DECK Original Fi led Feb. 23, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 V wrgpW fltfozneqa A ril 4, 1933. A. M. GRIFFIN FLOATING DECK Original Filed Feb. 23, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 w, gwgm attain/21:4

Patented Apr. 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALVL'E I. GRIFFIN, 0] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO BRIDGE &; IRON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION' OF ILLINOIS FLOATING DECK Original applications filed February 28, 1927, Serial No. 170,168, and October 8, 1927, Serial No. 224,786. Divided and this application flied September 8, 1930. Serial No. 480,058.

This invention relates to a floating deck such, for example, as employed for covering petroleum oil in oil tanks or reservoirs. This application is a division of my copending applications Serial No. 224,786, filed October 8, 1927, and Serial No. 170,168, filed February 23, 1927. a

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a floating deck including a pluralit of individually complete air chambers or'supporting the deck and to provide sectional units which form such air chambers and are in a shape which would permit the sectional units to be nested when they are separated for shipment.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the description of a preferred form of a floating deck embodying the invention. For this purpose there is hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred form or forms of a floating deck.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation mainly in vertical section of a number of pontoon members attached together to form a floating deck;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of Figure 1 taken on the line 22;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of a somewhat modified form of attaching means for adjacent pontoon members; and

Fi re 6 is a bottom plan view of a modified ating deck with the seal attached;

Figure 7 indicates a fragmental sectional view of the floating deck; and

Figure 8 is a fragmental vertical section of the deck disclosing the central gas withdrawal tube.

Referring to the drawings, the floating deck is preferably formed of a plurality of pontoon members 2. Each ofsaid pontoon members is formed substantially completely of sheet metal and providedwith a bottom wall 3 welded or otherwise joined to sheet metal side walls 4 which diverge slightly upwardly so that thedifi'erent pontoon members the pontoon members.

2 when detached from their top walls are adapted to nest together when the same are shipped.

Each of the pontoon members 2 is also provided with a top wall 5 formed with a marginalnpturned flange 6 which is adapted to abut the upper ends of the side walls 4 of In use of the deck these top walls 5 are shipped separate from the remainder of the pontoon members. The top walls may be formed so that they may nest together. When it is desired to assemble the pontoons together to form a floating deck, the pontoons separate from the top walls are lpositioned one against the other and a'gas et or other packing means 7 is placed between the abutting side walls 4 of the pontoon members and the side walls are attached together clamping the gaskets or packing between them by suitable means. A preferred form of such means is shown as comprising the bolts or rivets 8 disposed near the top of the side walls and further bolts or rivets 9 disposed on the side walls 4 at a point below where the top walls 5 are to be positioned. Where the side walls 4 are made 7 tapering or expanding, the bolts or rivets 9 are set in depressions 10 in the side walls.

After attaching the side walls of the pontoon members 2 together, the tops 5 are then inserted in place and further gaskets or packing 11 are placed between the upstanding marginal flanges 6 of said top walls and the side walls 4. There is then driven over the upper ends of said flanges 6 and side walls 4 a split tube 12 or other means 'for clamping the same together. When a split tube is employed, the flanges 6 may have their upper ends turned out as indicated at 13 to better engage the split tubes 12.

Each of the pontoons 2 is preferably provided with one or more air vents 14 for equalizing the pressure inside of the ontoons with the atmospheric pressure an the pontoons 2 are also preferably provided with means by which the water falling on each pontoon may pass to the next pontoon in order that the water may, if desired, be

purpose openings 16 are shown connecting the different pontoons together above their top walls 5. For further sealing the pontoons together against the escape of gas or oil vapors, the split tubes 12 may be filled with a sealing composition such as indicated at 17 which generally is some form of a bituminous or pitchy composition.

Now referring to Figure 5, a modified method and means for attaching the pontoon members together is illustrated. In Figure 5 the nesting type of pontoon members 2 are shown as having their side walls placed one against the other with a packing or gasket 7 disposed between said side walls. The top walls 5 of the pontoons are provided with upwardly directed peripheral flanges 6, and between the flanges 6 and the side walls further packing or gaskets 11 are disposed. The flanges 6 side walls of the pontoons and the packings or gaskets are all clamped together by a single series of bolts 18.

Preferably the flanges 6 of the tops 5 are turned outwardly as indicated at 20 to form a sort of trough above the top of the side plates 2 and packings 7 and 11 and such trough is filled with a sealing composition as indicated at 21. Such sealing composition may, for example, be any bituminous or pitchy substance adapted to form a gas-tight seal.

In the use of the floating deck of the present invention one or more of the pentoon members 2 may become punctured or otherwise damaged without causing the deck as a whole to sink. Whenever such a pontoon member is damaged, the same may be readily removed from the remainder of the deck and a new pontoon member inserted in its place. The pontoon members are further so formed that they may be nested together in shipping thereby occupying a minimum of space and being capable of shipment at low rates. The pontoon members are further constructed in a sin ple and economical manner.

Referring again to the drawings. the floating deck is illustrated as comprising a plurality of pontoons 22, having open tops and flaring side walls 23. The pontoons are indicated as generally in sector shape and set together so as to form a circular deck (see Figure 6). In certain cases, it may be deslrable in forming a large deck to employ a plurality of concentric series of pontoons 22. The top side edges of the pontoons 22 are fixed together by suitable means, preferably there being placed angle iron; 24 and 25 along the top side edges with one leg of the angle irons horizontally disposed at the top of the pontoons and the downwardly extending legs of the angle irons 24 and 25 are bolted together as indicated at 26, thus rigidly attaching adjacent pontoon sections together.

The tops of the pontoons 2 are covered by a plate 27 bolted as indicated at 28 to the top legs of the angle irons 24 and 25. The top plate 27 may be built in a plurality of sections so that said plate may be readily shipped in use. At the periphery of the floating deck, the top plate 27 is turned up, as indicated at 29, to provide a water collecting pan at the top of the deck. The inner ends of the plate 27 leaves an opening 30 through the deck by which the water may be discharged. If desired, a pipe or hose may be connected to said opening 30 to convey the water to the exterior of the tank.

The flaring sides 23 of the pontoons form between each adjacent pontoon, gas channels 31 and in order to remove the gas from under the deck, one of the pontoons is provided with a vertical tube 32 connecting with a plurality of radial tubes 33 communicating with the upper portion of the channels 31. The tubes 32 extend above the top plate 27 or water shed and there terminate in a discharge section 34 from which the gas may be discharged, the gas being preferably discharged inttl i a pipe by which it is conveyed from the tan In order to provide a seal between the floating deck and the tank, there is provided preferably, a cylindrical skirt 35 around the floating deck, the skirt being bolted to the deck by bolts 36 passing through the flange 29 on the cover 27. Said skirt 35 supports a plurality of hinges 37 which at their outer ends are hinged to sealing shoes 38, the sealing shoes being overlapped. To the sealing shoes 38 are attached horizontal cover plates 39 ex-,

tending inwardly from the sealing shoes to close the space between the skirt 35 and sealing shoes 38. Preferably the shoes 38 are yieldingly urged to the outer position by suitable means such, for example, as springs 40 havingone end attached to the skirt 35 and their outer ends attached to the outer part of the hinges 39.

While the floating deck herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the present invention, and the present invention includes all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. A floating deck comprising a plurality of pontoons, said pontoons being disposed in substantially horizontal alignment with their upper edges connected to form a substantially gas tight deck and their side walls somewhat separated to provide gas channels between the same under the deck and a continuous dependin gas retainin skirt attached to the perip cry of said dec 2. A floating deck comprising a plurality of pontoons, said pontoons being disposed in 5 substantially horizontal alignment with their upper edges connected to form a substantially gas tight deck and their side walls somewhat separated to provide gas channels between the same under the deck, the several gas channels bein interconnected, and a continuous depen 'ng gas retaining skirt attached to the periphery of said deck.

3. A substantially gas tight floating deck comprising a plurality of pan shape floats 15 having downwardly tapering side walls, different pan shape members being adapted to nest together, said members being disposed side by side in the floating deck and forming inverted Vshaped gas troughs therebetween. 4. A substantially gas tight floating deck for oil tanks comprising a. plurality of pan shape floats, a plurality of such pan shape floats bein of like construction, size and F shape and aving downwardly tapering side walls so that when separated from the floating deck they can be nested together, the pan shaped floats providing inverted V-shape gas channels therebetween when attached together to form a floating deck.

5. A substantially 'gas tight floating deck for oil tanks comprising a plurality of pan shape floats, a plurality of such pan shape floats being of like construction, size and h sha and having downwardly tapering side walifso that when separated from the floating deck they can be nested together, the pan shaped floats providing inverted V-shape gas channels therebetween when attached together to form a floating deck, and means for providing top Walls to form enclosed air (cihallgbers from said pan shaped floating Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 26th day of August, 1930. ALVAH M. GRIFFIN. 

